This world...

 I keep thinking of things to post about, but so many of them would ring hollow with you, my readers. The new and the strange and the different are so likely to be normal to you. And our lives are wrapping around such a new world that is it hard to figure out what to say or how to communicate it.

We are running into nearly endless opportunities, but just saying that could sound like we think people are opportunities for something that is of benefit to us. No, people are a benefit to us as much as we are to them, and in community we offer what God has given us to the next person. So, we have opportunities to give and to receive. Opportunities to invest in people and to be invested in. Opportunities to grow and to plant. Opportunities to teach and to learn. And the complexity of it all defies clarity. 

Garry has found a new enjoyment of meetings as he is involved in various teams here. He's enjoying learning more about Moody Aviation and how things work. He's also working on various projects and connecting with various people and organizations as he works on setting up a Safety Management System. 

Kaleb is riding his bike again since most of the snow has melted. He's enjoying working on his jumps and has modified them to be easier in hopes of getting more of the neighbourhood kids into riding. He's also growing like a weed and trying to compete with Kevin's eating records. 

People and ponderings

Saturday.  Right now it's sort of my day to get out of normal routine at home and catch up on other stuff that hasn't found a place in my routine yet. Really, it's a gift of time to refocus on God and what He is doing and where our lives fit into that in a bit of a bigger chunk of time. And the process of focusing on God is always good, because He is good. His mercies are new every morning and His grace is beyond understanding. His justice is sure, his truth stands forever. And we are His kids! Wow. 

This week started with a day off, a great day to do some house projects and connect with a couple from Moody. We enjoyed breakfast at their place, hearing about what God has done in their lives and sharing a bit of our journey. We also had another family over one evening and were blessed by a great conversation and a very relaxing time. As I ponder the week I see that connections are happening, new friendships are being forged, and I am blessed. 

Garry's week seemed to go quickly (to me!), with days full of contacting various people as he begins to work on different aspects of the Safety Management System, finishing up parts of his orientation, a few meetings, and work on a presentation. 

Kaleb and I did school and spent an afternoon with some new friends and another afternoon with people we've known longer. He worked on some animations and went sledding with the neighbours. We ran to the grocery store for frozen pizza for lunch one day simply because we could. We read a good book. All in all, this week felt like a week of settling into a new routine and having some space to simply enjoy the things we are doing.  

I hope your week was one of blessing and opportunity. I hope you had opportunity to trust God for things and that you, too, were blessed by the things He is doing around you. 

Happy 2015!

I realize 2015 has already begun. Over 2 weeks ago, in fact. Still, since I haven't been on here it seems like the start of a new year blogging for me. New ideas, new thoughts, new beginnings, relatively new job, house, and life. 

Garry is really enjoying his days at Moody Aviation and the opportunities He is getting to both learn and teach. It appears to be a set of opportunities that fall mostly in his "sweet spot", which is a huge blessing to him and to us as a family. These days he is learning all he can about Moody Aviation, the specific culture within the aviation department and the broader culture of Moody Bible Institute. It has been interesting, a journey into yet another new world, new ways of thinking and interacting. We are thankful that he is finding a good environment there in which to minister.

At this point I am busy at home, catching up on a number of things that didn't get attention during our move and schooling Kaleb. I'm also enjoying various opportunities to connect with other moms and women involved in Moody Aviation.

Kaleb has met a few of the neighbourhood kids and is enjoying getting to know them. He's also made some friends through homeschool activities, and is slowly settling into a new normal here. Like Garry and I, he misses having Kevin at home.

We are loving Washington, and Spokane and Moody Aviation specifically, but each move has a tendency to excite us for the present and also produce a certain amount of nostalgia about the past, a sense of loss in the people, places, and opportunities we've left behind. So, for thsoe of you who were waiting for this confession: yes, we're homesick for Manitoba, for the Philippines, for Arizona and Panama and Paraguay and Venezuela. And in the midst of growing and learning we remind one another that this is becoming home, that each loss is proof of something of value we've experienced and left behind,  and that this moment is worth investing in part because we are building something that will one day be worth missing!

Friday coffee shop

I've been at the coffee shop trying to catch up on some office stuff since early this morning. Although I often feel a bit behind on office stuff, my current status is more like buried. There are so many new things to do, see, learn, and experience that it is hard to keep up with everything. Some days it's fun, some days it's downright overwhelming.

Garry is loving his new job and finds the challenges mostly invigorating at this point. He has spent a fair amount of time in meetings and has learned a lot about how Moody Aviation functions, the priorities, and some of the challenges we are facing. It's been a huge learning curve, but very rewarding. This week he was involved in Advisory Board meetings, a time for mission aviation organizations to get together with Moody Aviation and Moody Bible personnel to share ideas and vision. These seemed like profitable times as we all move ahead in what God is calling us to do.

Kaleb has been amazing at stepping out of his comfort zone to meet people and experience new things. So far he has met a couple of guys that he hopes to see again, which is a real answer to prayer, and yet an ongoing request as one meeting is too short to determine many things.

Kevin turned 20 and arrived home last week. It's been great to have him around, though coming "home" to a place you've only been for a day is interesting, to say the least. we've been busy trying to finish some projects on the house and he's been trying to get some training done while he's here.

Our new home

A house is a home because it's filled with family, friends, and laughter. Our home is quickly being filled, and we are enjoying the process! We love this house and the great spaces it has-- open dining room and kitchen and a cozy stove among other things. Here are a few photos of our new place!

Heading West

It's been a crazy few weeks... really crazy. I will try to post more over the next week or so, but suffice it to say that getting our visa took two trips to the border, Kevin did well in Saskatoon, Kaleb got some great time with friends, the flu is nasty this year, and we loved seeing so many people while packing up the house.

Yes, we've finished packing and cleaning the house in Manitoba and are headed to Washington with our worldly goods stowed in the truck, trailer, and van. We got a late start due to being sick the last couple of days in Manitoba, and ended up at the border late on Saturday. The border crossing went remarkably well and we didn't have to unpack anything! 

The weather wasn't great, so we stopped early Saturday night, hoping for an early start on Sunday. It was not to be... it's been cold, icy, and snowy. I don't think we've ever had a trip quite like this-- hour after hour of stressful driving. Of course, pulling a trailer adds to driving stress, but it is challenging even in the van. So what we thought was an easy two days' drive has now taken 3 days, and we're just over half way. We're praying better weather allows us to get there tomorrow.

And in the meantime, lots of memories being made! Looking forward to arriving, to seeing how God unfolds the next parts of our journey, but for now we are enjoying a very long drive! 

"Not Now"

I find I'm often impatient. I think I know what should happen, and if it should happen, now seems a good time. I like resolution, I like forward motion. 

God, however, seems to value process in a way I don't. He lives outside of time, and I don't think time creates the same pressure to God that it does to me. At least, that's what I'm thinking today after not getting our visas yesterday. We drove to Pembina totally expecting that we'd come home with visas in the guys' passports. However, it didn't turn out that way. There were some issues with our paperwork. We were given some advice that we trust will prove helpful as we continue to pursue what God has for us in Spokane, Washington.

On another note, our time in Washington was very profitable. God worked out so very many things, and we came home excited to continue this journey to moving there. On our trip home we were able to spend some time with family in British Columbia and Alberta. What a blessing! 

Kevin came home a couple of weeks before we did, and it's been great to be together again. He continues to enjoy school, work, and training. Kaleb is back to trail building and animation and is thankful for his own bedroom after the weeks of travel. We're enjoying seeing a few people. We're also starting the packing process and trying to wrap our minds around all that needs done between now and when we leave for Washington.

We continue to be amazed at God and the way He works out the details of life. 

Future, faith, & joy

When we arrived in Spokane almost 2 weeks ago, I had very little idea of what to expect. I'd visited here once, and Garry had been here multiple times. Still, there were so many questions. We spent a day driving around with a great real estate agent right after we arrived, and I returned home totally overwhelmed. Wow, how was this all going to work out?!

Then Garry spent some time at the hangar and in meetings with various teams at Moody Aviation. He spent hours in his new boss's office. And he came home so encouraged that the enthusiasm was catching! I spent quite a few hours chatting with various women-- asking about life in Spokane, Moody aviation, and the local homsechool climate. A loan officer began to work on mortgage options and was persistent in pursuing various avenues.  We toured Moody Bible Institute, Spokane, and heard parts of how God has been working there. God's Word and His eternal truths struck us in relation to moving and new opportunities here.

In each situation, in every opportunity, it was clear that God is here and He is doing something. His purposes are becoming more clear, His calling irresistible. We love being involved in what He is doing, and we see Him at work in Moody Aviation in exciting ways. 

The future remains unclear in terms of the physical aspect of housing and many other areas, but we've been encouraged once more that God is working His perfect plan, and we are convinced that we are meant to be part of His plan here in Spokane. What a joy to see God leading our steps and bringing us to an understanding of His plans!